Railway-switch-controlling apparatus



Oct. ,14; 1930. w. A. WOOD RAILWAY SWITCH CONTROLLING APPARATUS FiledJan. 31, 1929 INVENTOR: Maul food, I KZQ'BZ-W ing as the lever C is inits normal or its re- Patented Oct. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

WILLARD A. WOOD, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNIONSWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWI SSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA RAILWAY-SWITCI-I-CONTROLLING APPARATUS Application filedJanuary 31, 1929. Serial No. 336,459.

My invention relates to apparatus for the control of railway switches,and has for an object the provision of a switch control and detectorlocking system employing a min imum number of line wires between theswitch and its controlling lever.

I will describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and willthen point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view showing one form ofapparatus embodying my invention. 7

Referring to the drawing, the reference character A designates a railwayswitch provided with an operating mechanism B having a normal magnet Mand a reverse magnet B. This mechanism B may be of the direct actingelectropneumatic type such as that shown in Letters Patent of the UnitedStates No. 1,392,737, granted to C. R. Beall on October 4, 1921. Thestructure of the operating mechanism forms no part of my presentinvention, and for purposes of present description it is sufficient tosay that the switch is moved to its normal or its reverse positionaccordlng as the normal magnet M v or the reverse magnet R is'energized.

The switch is controlled by a manually operable lever C having a normalposition wherein a contact 3 is swung to the left, and a reverseposition wherein this contact is swung to the right. The switch is alsocontrolled in part by a track circuit which is associated with theswitch in the usual manner, and which comprises a track battery 2 and atrack relay D. The control of the switch by the lever C and the trackrelay D is accomplished through the medium of a polarized relay E havinga normal position wherein its contact 4 is swung to the left, and areverse position wherein this contact is swung to the right. This relayis so constructed that when it becomes de-energized, the polar contact 4remains in the position corresponding to the polarity of the currentwhich was last supplied to the relay.

Assuming that the track relay D is energized, the polarized relay E issupplied with current of normal or reverse polarity accordtact l in iverse position. As shown inthe drawing, this lever is in its normalposition, so that current flows from the left-hand terminal of batteryF, through contact 3 in its left'hand position, front contact 5 of relayD, and the inding of relay E to the middle point of battery F. Thiscurrent is of normal polarity, so that contact 4 of relay E is swung tothe left. If lever C moved to its reverse position wherein contact 3 isswung to the right, the circuit will be the same as before except thatleft-hand terminal of relay E will be connected with the right-handterminal of battery F so that current of reverse p0- larity will besupplied to relay E and contact a of this relay will be swung to itsright-hand position. 7

The magnets N and R of the switch operating mechanism are connected inmultiple in a circuit which is controlled by contact 4 of relay E.Y'Vhen this contact is in its normal position. current flows from theleft-hand terminal of battery F, through contact 4 of relay E, arectifier R and normal magnet N to the middle point of battery F.Rectifier R is so connected as to permit current of normal polarity butnot of reverse polarity to flow through magnet N. A similar rectifier Eis connected in series with magnet R in such direction as to permitcurrent of reverse polarity but not of normal polarity to flow throughthis magnet. It follows that when r *y E is energized in the normaldirection,

et N is energized and magnet R is deenergized. Assuming now that relay Eis energized in the reverse direction, current will flow from the middlepoint of battery F through magnet B, recti ier R and cona "non to theright- Magnet B will hand terminal then be ener r- As shown in thdrawing, the switch A is in its normal position, and the track circuitassociated wi h this switch is unoccupied so that relay D is energized.Lever C is in its normal position, and relay E is energized in itsnormal direction. If, now, lever C is reversed, relay E will becomeenergized inthe reverse direction, thereby causing magnet N to becomederenergized and magnetR to, be-

come energized. Switch A will therefore be moved to its reverseposit-ion. In similar manner, it lever C restor d to its normalposition. switch A. will be moved to its norllltli position.

When a train enters the track circuit associated with switch A, relay Dwill become decnergized, thereby opening the circuit for relay l) andprevent reversal ot the latter relay. Contact l, however, will remain inthe position to which it was last moved, so that switch A will remain inthe position to which it was last moved but cannot be operated while thetrack section occupied by the train.

One feature of my invention is the fact that I have provided for switchoperation and detector locking by only two wires between the controllingapparatus and the switch mechanism.

Although I have herein shovn and described only one form of apparatusembodying my invention, it is understood thatvarious changes and.modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a railway switch, mechanism for operating said switchcomprising a normal and a reverse magnet, a manually operable leverhaving normal and reverse positions, a polarized relay, a track circuitincluding a tr ck relay associated with said switch, means forenergizing said polarized relay in normal or reverse direction accordingas said lever is in normal or reverse position it and only it said trackrelay is energized, means for supplying said magnets with current ofnormal or revers polarity according said polarized relay is energized innormal or reverse direction, and rectifiers associated with said magnetsfor permitting current of normal polarity but not of reverse polarity toflow through the normal magnet and for permitting cu rrent of reversepolarity but not of normal polarity to flow through said reverse magnet.

2. In combination, a. railway switch, mechanism for operating saidswitch con'zprising normal and a reverse magnet, a manually operablelever liav-.ig normal and reverse positions, a polarized relay. a tracl:circuit including a track relay associated vith switch, a circuit forsaid pole. 'ized relay in cludinr a front contact of said track relay,means ror supplying said circuit with current of normal or reversepolarity according as said lever is in normal or reverse position, acircuit including said two magnets connected in multiple, means forsupplying said magnet circuit with current of normal or reverse polarityaccording as said polarized relay is energized in the normal or thereverse direc- XVILLARD A. lVOOD.

